1. Field
The present invention relates to protective clothing and, in particular, to a garment useful for protecting the clothing and body of a caregiver for an infant and a small child.
2. State of the Art
Persons caring for infants and small children may often be required to carry or hold the child. Liquid or semi-liquid materials on the child's face, hands, chest or clothing may be smeared or deposited on the caregiver's clothing or body. An infant who is bottle-feeding is held against the caregiver's shoulder or chest area for feeding, and drops of milk, juice or formula may drip out of the infant's mouth or the bottle and fall onto the caregiver. Also, after an infant has been fed from a bottle, a common practice is to burp the infant, causing it to expel air it has ingested while feeding. When the infant is burped, it may also expel a mixture of liquid and solid material. If the infant is positioned with its head at the shoulder of the caregiver, the mixture that is expelled from the baby on burping may flow with the force of gravity down the holder's chest or back. Liquids and liquid-containing materials can be transferred to the upper body or arms of a person holding a child in various other ways, including leakage from diapers, drooling, and vomiting. Persons charged with looking after animal babies, in zoos or veterinary hospitals, may have a similar experience with liquid and semi-liquid materials being deposited on their bodies and clothing. As a result, the clothing of the person holding the baby is soiled or stained.
To reduce the risk that clothing will be soiled or stained, persons holding babies use towels, aprons, blankets, folded cloth diapers and the like on the shoulder to protect their clothing. These coverings are not liquid resistant so that liquids will soak-through or transfer through the covering. In addition, these commonly used items are not of sufficient size to fully protect the caregiver.
Various other articles have been suggested for persons dealing with babies. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,617,105 describes a rectangular piece of flexible material that is draped over the caregiver's shoulder, but which leaves portions of the upper body uncovered and can be easily pushed aside. U.S. Pat. No. 2,563,420 describes a bib or combined bib and apron to be worn on the caregiver's shoulder or around the neck. U.S. Pat. No. 3,871,027 describes a disposable absorptive pad, to be placed on the wearer's shoulder and held in place by adhesive means. These articles are not suitable for use with heavier or bulky clothing such as jackets or suits, are not of sufficient dimension, do not take into account the gravitational flow of liquid materials, and are often awkward to put on and remove. This is especially troublesome for working fathers and mothers, and other caregivers, who wear professional clothing, and are asked to help with feeding an infant immediately before or after work while still wearing their professional clothing.